Exploring Day
We have a 9:00 breakfast booked this morning and we’re ready
to go. Breakfast isn’t overly exciting
with some scrambled eggs, cold meats and cheeses, bread, one cereal and yogurt
drinks. They do have a pot of coffee
however so it has some redeeming quality.
Peter is on the desk this morning and we have a discussion about
wi-fi. It is non-existent in our room
and we can’t get on in the breakfast room.
He suggests that we must be doing something wrong so we hand him our
computer and he can’t get on either.
Hah! We’re right but still have
the same problem. After a few minutes of
re-trying it finally pops up and we’re on-line.
Peter then admits that “internet in Croatia is sheety.” Excellent use of English.
This morning is market day for us. They were tearing down when we got to the
square yesterday so we’re anxious to see what the fuss is about. We expected the bustle yesterday during rush
hour on a Friday, but the center of town is packed again this morning with the
trams from the burbs standing room only.
The Zagreb marathon is tomorrow and today there are some related activities
in the main square with running gear suppliers and organizers.
We wrap around and up the stairs to the market and this is a
sight to behold. 8’ wooden tables and
umbrellas set up nose to nose across at least an acre of open space. There is lots of homemade cheese, flowers,
honey, nuts, herbs, fruits and vegetables of every variety. Some is obviously home grown and others
(pineapples, bananas) brought in. The
place is also packed with customers carrying multiple bags of purchases. No Japanese tourist groups getting in the way
of commerce—just us.
Then we go downstairs to an area equally large but indoors
with permanent booths. These are the
butchers, bakers and pickle makers and there are a huge number of buyers down
here too but a bit more room for walking between displays. There must be 50 butchers and every one of
them is busy with a few customers lined up.
We pass one stand that has three people behind the counter and about 25
people in line. Apparently everyone has
their favorites. It’s fun to listen to
the shouts and orders and the whacking away of meat cleavers. This place is open every day and “the” place
for Zagrebians to come for regular grocery shopping. We love it.
But we have to move along.
We’re doing the Rick Steves walking tour today. There are two original upper-level towns that
make up Zagreb – Gradec & Kaptol.
When they combined they also incorporated the lower town that used to be
farm fields and now houses most of the population. We hike up the steps next to the world’s
shortest funicular (66 meters so the locals all walk) to Gradec. This is the power neighborhood with the city
hall, a couple of fancy museums, the Croatian Parliament, the Prime Minister’s
offices as well as the old churches. It
seems a little lonely up here after the buzz of the square and market.
We shift east through one of the original town gates into
Kaptol and slightly downhill from the politicians where we pass some religious
shrines and also the historic red light district. Funny how that all goes together. We’re now uphill from the market on Tkalciceva
Street, a mecca for eating, drinking and shopping. We go up the right and back down the left
before stopping for a bite of lunch. The
place is called the History Café while across the street is the Village
Café. They’re the same. Mary has a vegetable soup and John has a half
club sandwich while both have beers and share fries. Mediocre would be a compliment.
It’s starting to rain (AGAIN!!) and the end of the tour is
right below us at the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
and the Saintly Kings Stephen and Ladislav.
Yes, that’s the name. The origin
of the church actually began in 1094 and was destroyed and rebuilt plenty of
times. The current version was completed
in 1902 and it proved to be worth the visit.
Gorgeous carvings, chandeliers from Las Vegas (according to local
reports) and beautiful stained glass art.
Archbishop Alojzije Stepinac ran the place during WWII and is to this
day an inspirational figure. He is buried
below a lifelike wax sculpture in front of the altar.
Now it is raining harder.
We yo-yo through town to check out a potential restaurant for tonight
and then motor back to the room for dry warmth and rests.
Time for dinner and it is pouring. We are brave and think we can walk the mile
back to the center for fresh fish and we get about 3 blocks when a Chinese
restaurant rears its head. We’re done
with cold and wet, we’re doing Chinese.
We get a couple bottle beers, Mary has a fried rice dish with chicken
(she asks to see a wing) and John has a Szechwan beef and rice noodle
dish. We share spring rolls. We are the only people in the place which is
never a good sign but the food is good, service is great (one on one) and the
price is right. We’re happy our trip
back to bed is short.
What did we learn today?
Fresh food markets will create their own business.
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